"Then Moab rebelled against Israel after
the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper
chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and
said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I
shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah
the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of
Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in
Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now
therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on
which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. And
when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye
now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us,
and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say
unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in
Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone
up, but shalt surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was
he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they
answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather
about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty.
And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken" (2Kings 1:1-17a KJV).
Moab had been in subjection to Israel since David won a war over them. They were taxed every year and now they decided they had had enough and broke away. Basically, they were tired of paying taxes for nothing. During this period, Ahaziah son of Ahab and Jezebel was the king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for about two years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. He served and worshiped Baal and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done. King Ahaziah enjoyed all the privileges of ruling but wanted none of the responsibilities.
In Ahaziah's case, as you can see, the Bible did not give us a lot of information about the accident and what caused it. And whether he was agitated over the lost revenues from Moab or in a drunken stupor we were not told - no one knows, only GOD knows. But one thing is certain, the Scripture told us that he fell through the lattice work of his upper chamber in Samaria, and he was severely wounded which resulted to a serious illness. Perhaps he broke a leg or broke his back or damaged an internal organ in the fall. Maybe he was paralyzed. When the injured king realized he was not recovering, he got worried. The pain was so bad that he decided to seek supernatural advice as to whether or not he would recover. Having been trained by his parents to handle such complications in life by consulting pagan deities, Ahaziah sought counsel from the god of Ekron, hoping that that god would tell him if he would recover from the injury. To this effect, Elijah raised an alarm, "Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?"
Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities and was a city known for its practice of divination. The name, "Baal-zebub" is a combination of two Hebrew words: 1. "Baal" means "lord or god." 2. "Zebub" in noun form means "fly." Together the two words mean "god of the fly" or "lord of the fly." All we know for sure is that this "fly god" was housed at Ekron, and was believed to speak about the future through its seers and witches and priests.
Some people today might say, as they certainly did in Elijah’s day, "Aw, what is the harm?" And others too could say, "After all, what is so bad about reading your daily horoscope?" Today, countless people seek to know the future. Newspapers and magazines carry columns for both ads and books on astrology, horoscopes, and other occult subjects. Television networks advertise psychic hot lines. The Internet provides a vast array of merchandise for people who are curious of securing information about their fortune and their future. There is danger in seeking answers from anyone or anything else other than from God and His Word. God wants us to turn to him in everything. Ahaziah learned a hard lesson from Elijah who taught him that seeking help from any other god than the Living God is not a good idea. We must put our trust in the Lord alone, and we must never seek help from occult sources or any other source. Elijah confronts not only the king but all his army as well. In many ways the world calls us to come down from serving the Lord. Elijah shows us the victory that is ours if we remain faithful. Idolatry, in any form, carries a very high price tag. That is why we need to be aware of the futility of idolatry.
On the surface, Baal-zebub was nothing more than a hunk of stone or a chunk of wood, maybe in the shape of a fly, but from it emanated all sorts of supernatural, demonic powers. That is why God stepped in when Ahaziah sent his messengers to consult with the god of Ekron. So we see that God quickly dispatched His prophet, Elijah to the scene to intercept Ahaziah’s messengers. God did not want them to have any contact with the demon-inspired god at Ekron. Therefore, God told Elijah to stop them from making that journey and told him to ask them, "Is there no God in Israel that you can call upon?" Why must you go to this god in Ekron? It is amazing how quickly God sometimes acts. The Lord quickly stepped in and let him know that his very decision to go to a false god would cause his death – he would not recover. The Bible says, "So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken." God means what He says and God keeps His word.
Finally, is there no God to inquire from or to call upon for riches, healing, deliverance, etc? Remember, God is not pleased with any occult involvement. No matter what the motive, no matter how great the need, dabbling in occultism is sin. What does the word "OCCULT" mean? Literally, the word "occult" means "hidden". It involves practices that are not approved of by God; including astrology, casting spells, consulting with spirits, sorcery, and witchcraft. Occult practices such as Ouija boards, tarot cards, astrology charts, contacting the dead, etc are to be avoided by every Christian. God’s Word is crystal clear on this subject. As the Scripture says, "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God" (Lev. 19:31).
I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and love of our Heavenly Father and His Son, will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. The future is as bright as your faith. I declare that God lives and that He hears and answers our prayers. Heaven’s blessings await us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen! As you read and apply this message to your heart, vowing to remain faithful to God in the face of all odds, not turning to the left or to the right to go after any strange god, the Almighty God will richly bless you. Remain blessed in the LORD. Keep on reading and following the LORD, JESUS CHRIST...from Evangelist Chikadibia S. F. Emenike, http://fasuchem.blogspot.com/, http://fasuchem.wordpress.com/, http://fasuchem.livejournal.com/, http://fasuchem.tumblr.com/, http://fasuchem.blog.com/, http://fasuchem.tblog.com/, http://my.opera.com/fasuchem/blog/, http://forum4.aimoo.com/fasuchem/, http://twitter.com/fasuchem/, http://facebook.com/fasuchem/, etc.
Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty.
And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken" (2Kings 1:1-17a KJV).
Moab had been in subjection to Israel since David won a war over them. They were taxed every year and now they decided they had had enough and broke away. Basically, they were tired of paying taxes for nothing. During this period, Ahaziah son of Ahab and Jezebel was the king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for about two years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. He served and worshiped Baal and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done. King Ahaziah enjoyed all the privileges of ruling but wanted none of the responsibilities.
In Ahaziah's case, as you can see, the Bible did not give us a lot of information about the accident and what caused it. And whether he was agitated over the lost revenues from Moab or in a drunken stupor we were not told - no one knows, only GOD knows. But one thing is certain, the Scripture told us that he fell through the lattice work of his upper chamber in Samaria, and he was severely wounded which resulted to a serious illness. Perhaps he broke a leg or broke his back or damaged an internal organ in the fall. Maybe he was paralyzed. When the injured king realized he was not recovering, he got worried. The pain was so bad that he decided to seek supernatural advice as to whether or not he would recover. Having been trained by his parents to handle such complications in life by consulting pagan deities, Ahaziah sought counsel from the god of Ekron, hoping that that god would tell him if he would recover from the injury. To this effect, Elijah raised an alarm, "Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?"
Ekron was one of the five major Philistine cities and was a city known for its practice of divination. The name, "Baal-zebub" is a combination of two Hebrew words: 1. "Baal" means "lord or god." 2. "Zebub" in noun form means "fly." Together the two words mean "god of the fly" or "lord of the fly." All we know for sure is that this "fly god" was housed at Ekron, and was believed to speak about the future through its seers and witches and priests.
Some people today might say, as they certainly did in Elijah’s day, "Aw, what is the harm?" And others too could say, "After all, what is so bad about reading your daily horoscope?" Today, countless people seek to know the future. Newspapers and magazines carry columns for both ads and books on astrology, horoscopes, and other occult subjects. Television networks advertise psychic hot lines. The Internet provides a vast array of merchandise for people who are curious of securing information about their fortune and their future. There is danger in seeking answers from anyone or anything else other than from God and His Word. God wants us to turn to him in everything. Ahaziah learned a hard lesson from Elijah who taught him that seeking help from any other god than the Living God is not a good idea. We must put our trust in the Lord alone, and we must never seek help from occult sources or any other source. Elijah confronts not only the king but all his army as well. In many ways the world calls us to come down from serving the Lord. Elijah shows us the victory that is ours if we remain faithful. Idolatry, in any form, carries a very high price tag. That is why we need to be aware of the futility of idolatry.
On the surface, Baal-zebub was nothing more than a hunk of stone or a chunk of wood, maybe in the shape of a fly, but from it emanated all sorts of supernatural, demonic powers. That is why God stepped in when Ahaziah sent his messengers to consult with the god of Ekron. So we see that God quickly dispatched His prophet, Elijah to the scene to intercept Ahaziah’s messengers. God did not want them to have any contact with the demon-inspired god at Ekron. Therefore, God told Elijah to stop them from making that journey and told him to ask them, "Is there no God in Israel that you can call upon?" Why must you go to this god in Ekron? It is amazing how quickly God sometimes acts. The Lord quickly stepped in and let him know that his very decision to go to a false god would cause his death – he would not recover. The Bible says, "So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken." God means what He says and God keeps His word.
Finally, is there no God to inquire from or to call upon for riches, healing, deliverance, etc? Remember, God is not pleased with any occult involvement. No matter what the motive, no matter how great the need, dabbling in occultism is sin. What does the word "OCCULT" mean? Literally, the word "occult" means "hidden". It involves practices that are not approved of by God; including astrology, casting spells, consulting with spirits, sorcery, and witchcraft. Occult practices such as Ouija boards, tarot cards, astrology charts, contacting the dead, etc are to be avoided by every Christian. God’s Word is crystal clear on this subject. As the Scripture says, "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God" (Lev. 19:31).
I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and love of our Heavenly Father and His Son, will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. The future is as bright as your faith. I declare that God lives and that He hears and answers our prayers. Heaven’s blessings await us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen! As you read and apply this message to your heart, vowing to remain faithful to God in the face of all odds, not turning to the left or to the right to go after any strange god, the Almighty God will richly bless you. Remain blessed in the LORD. Keep on reading and following the LORD, JESUS CHRIST...from Evangelist Chikadibia S. F. Emenike, http://fasuchem.blogspot.com/, http://fasuchem.wordpress.com/, http://fasuchem.livejournal.com/, http://fasuchem.tumblr.com/, http://fasuchem.blog.com/, http://fasuchem.tblog.com/, http://my.opera.com/fasuchem/blog/, http://forum4.aimoo.com/fasuchem/, http://twitter.com/fasuchem/, http://facebook.com/fasuchem/, etc.
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